Sometimes we’re so busy growing up that we forget they’re growing old.
Everyone knows that claiming a dependent on your income tax return can get you a significantly larger refund. For every dependent you claim on your taxes you can claim an extra personal exemption. That’s a large chunk of change you can deduct from your income, thus reducing your tax burden.
But who exactly can you claim? Are you eligible to claim your parents as dependents?
When it comes to taxes there are actually two different types of dependents: qualifying children and qualifying relatives.
Obviously, you can’t claim your parents as qualifying children. So the question becomes, do they meet the requirements for qualifying relatives?
Is your parent a qualifying relative for tax purposes?
In order to claim someone as a qualifying relative they must:
- Have lived with you all year as a member of your household, or be one of the following family members: child, parent, sibling, stepparent, stepchild, step-sibling, half sibling, grandparent, grandchild, child-in-law, parent-in-law, sibling-in-law, uncle, aunt, niece, or nephew
- Be a U.S. citizen or resident, or a resident of Canada or Mexico
- Be unmarried, or married but not filing a joint return
- Not be a qualifying child of you or someone else
- Have a gross income of less than $4,000
- Have more than half of their total support for the year provided by you
In plain English, this means that yes you can claim a parent as a dependent but they have to meet the above requirements.
Are Social Security Benefits included?
As a general rule, Social Security benefits are not included in gross income. For more information about Social Security and Disability benefits, check out our other article, “Claiming Parents as Dependents If They Receive Social Security Benefits“. Be sure to make sure they are tax-exempt, because this could determine your eligibility to claim them as a dependent.
When determining if you provided over 50% of a parent’s total support, be sure to consider
- lodging
- food expenses
- utilities
- repairs
- household expenses
- clothing
- education
- medical and dental expenses
- travel
- recreation expenses
If you support a parent who meets all of the requirements listed above be sure to claim them when you file online this season!
can my son claim us on his tax return? We are both retired and do not have any other income but social security.It says you can not have a income of 3900 but is that foe social security earnings?
Hi Patricia,
Can I claim my relative as a dependent?
An individual must meet all of the following requirements in order to be considered your “Qualifying Relative”:
1. The relative cannot be your “Qualifying Child” and cannot be claimed by someone else.
2. The person must either have lived with you for the entire year as a member of the household (a person who is not actually related to you may meet the requirements in this way), or be related to you in one of the following ways: your child, stepchild, grandchild or other descendant of one of your children (or stepchildren or foster children), son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother, sister, half brother, half sister, stepbrother, stepsister, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, parent, stepfather, stepmother, father-in-law, mother-in-law, grandparent, and, if related by blood, aunt, uncle, niece, or nephew.
3. The person must have made less than $3,950 in gross income during 2014.
4. You must have provided more than half of the individual’s total support during the year.
As far as whether or not your social security is included in your gross income, you will need to check your provider and see if they are tax-exempt.
My mother, who is 90 and does not live with me, but I assist her with grocery shopping, doctor appt’s, and bill writing; would I be able to claim her? My sister who is wheelchair bound in her home, would I also be able to claim her, for assisting her weekly as shopping, taking her to dr. appointments, cleaning…?
Hi Marisa,
Your aunt and mother must meet the requirements to be considered a “Qualifying Relative” and be claimed as dependents on your tax return.
An individual must meet all of the following requirements in order to be considered your “Qualifying Relative”:
1. The relative cannot be your “Qualifying Child” and cannot be claimed by someone else.
2. The person must either have lived with you for the entire year as a member of the household (a person who is not actually related to you may meet the requirements in this way), or be related to you in one of the following ways: your child, stepchild, grandchild or other descendant of one of your children (or stepchildren or foster children), son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother, sister, half brother, half sister, stepbrother, stepsister, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, parent, stepfather, stepmother, father-in-law, mother-in-law, grandparent, and, if related by blood, aunt, uncle, niece, or nephew.
3. The person must have made less than $3,950 in gross income during 2014.
4. You must have provided more than half of the individual’s total support during the year.
My mother lives with me and makes over $3900 per year in pension income, so I cannot claim her as a dependent. When I calculate her expenses (estimated rent, food, medicine and medical supply expenses, clothing, etc.) it comes out to $6,000 more than her income.
I am the one paying the difference and I am a single Mom with two boys to support. Is there any way to claim the $6,000 of her expenses on my taxes? Please let me know. Thank you so much!
Hi Barbara,
You may want to take a look at any tax credits that you may qualify for. You can find each tax credit and the qualification on the IRS website. You may not be able to report all $6,000 but it could be a bit of a help to you.
Can I claim my nephew o. My taxes if he doesn’t work & he’s 20 with no insurance.& how much would I be fine.
Hi Verline,
As long as your nephew meets the requirements for a “qualifying dependent” and nobody else is claiming him, then you can claim him as a dependent.
Can I claim my father as a dependent, even though he does not live with me? He lives in another state, and only income is Social Security. I paid half of his rent in 2014.
Hi Michael,
Unfortunately, in order to claim a dependent, they must meet all qualifications as a “qualifying dependent”. These qualifications can be found on the IRS website.